# How to make all values positive?

So I have a list of data that contain both positive and negative values, and I am wondering what I have to do in order to make all the numbers positive.

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You didn't say what relation those positive numbers should have to your original numbers, therefore the following is also a valid solution to the problem you stated: 1&/@yourlist — this just replaces all entries of your list with 1, which clearly is positive. – celtschk Oct 20 '12 at 7:42
Redefine Min[data]-1 as 0 ? – image_doctor Oct 20 '12 at 17:04
Unprotect[Positive]; Positive[_] := True; – Rojo Oct 20 '12 at 18:00

list = RandomInteger[{-10, 10}, 20]


{8, -2, -1, -1, 10, -10, -9, -4, -2, 3, -2, -1, -8, 1, 6, 5, 0, 3, 5, -10}

When you apply Abs[] to a list, it will be applied to each element of that list:

Abs[list]
Abs @ list


Both return

{8, 2, 1, 1, 10, 10, 9, 4, 2, 3, 2, 1, 8, 1, 6, 5, 0, 3, 5, 10}

Note: That also goes for other functions, like addition:

list + 100


doesn't add the number 100 at the end of the list, but adds 100 to each element:

{108, 98, 99, 99, 110, 90, 91, 96, 98, 103, 98, 99, 92, 101, 106, 105, 100, 103, 105, 90}

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Assuming the list contains negative numbers, you could shift everything to the right on the number line by adding the absolute value of the smallest number plus one. This would preserve the ordering of the elements in your list.

d = RandomInteger[{-10, 10}, 20];


{-2, -7, 10, 5, 5, 7, -3, 7, 2, -2, 9, -8, -1, 1, 3, -8, -6, 8, 0, 3}

d + (Abs@Min@d + 1)


{7, 2, 19, 14, 14, 16, 6, 16, 11, 7, 18, 1, 8, 10, 12, 1, 3, 17, 9, 12}

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+1 for an interesting variation – Mr.Wizard Oct 20 '12 at 17:19

If you are indifferent to the way your data are made positive, then check Abs function out, which is defined as Abs[x] == x Sign[x]. It leaves zeros unchanged, but does make negative numbers positive. It then suffices to evaluate posdata = Abs[data].

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OH! Thank you so much! – user4341 Oct 20 '12 at 5:31
@user4341 Please, remember to accept the answer, if it solves your problem, by clicking the checkmark sign` – Vitaliy Kaurov Nov 8 '12 at 9:51